press release: GymNation
Gold company profile | GymNation
PRESS RELEASE
GymNation pulls off hilarious 'Jim Nathan' cameo prank on world's strongest men to launch new class
06 Nov 2025
Jim Nathan aka / GymNation
The light-hearted prank on some of the strongest men in the world - totalling a staggering 1358kg in weight - was revealed on GymNation’s social media channels this morning, racking up hundreds of comments.
The prank was covertly done to launch GymNation’s new Strongman class, every Saturday at their Mirdif club - proving sometimes brains are better than brawn.
Using personalised video-sharing platform Cameo, GymNation received hilarious shoutouts from a series of strongmen, with some even encouraging viewers to “smash” their Saturday workouts.
Those who gave a shoutout included four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler (103g), two-time Australia’s Strongest Man winner Eddie Williams (190kg), Icelandic former strongman Manus Ver Magnusson (103kg), British strongman Tom Stoltam (183kg), American former powerlifter Mark Henry (136kg), Nick Best (145kg) 2017 World’s Strongest Man, and Icelandic strongman Benedikt Magnusson (180kg).
Others included World’s Strongest Man Zydrunas Savickas (180kg), and Denmark’s Strongest Man 1983 winner Sven-Ole Thorsen (138kg during the time of his Conan the Barbarian appearance).
“Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to my mate ‘Jim Nathan’, Benedikt began in the clip, “who is launching his strongman training adventure in the Middle East.
“‘Jim Nathan’, me and the rest of the musclebuilding community are right behind you.”
“G’day Jim Nathan,” Eddie hilariously echoed.
“I just want to encourage you as you’re about to embark on a great journey; a journey that I started when I put myself to the test to build muscle and give strongman [training] a go.
“May the gains be ever in your favour!”
Meanwhile, Jay Cutler added: “Big ‘Jim Nathan’, what’s going on, my friend? I know you’re heading abroad to start this thing off in the Middle East for this strongman training adventure.
“All my best wishes, man. Go hard, lift heavy, never skip leg day - we know you never skip leg day.
“I know all my buddies are in Dubai right now getting ready to finish the last day of the Dubai muscle show, so I know the community is really big over there... I know you’re gonna leave your mark, man.”
Mark said: “‘Jim Nathan’ what’s going on man? Jim, they want you to know they’re right behind you, they want you to stay dedicated, work hard.
“Best of luck from your mates, and from me. Come on now, let’s go!”
“Keep dedicated, keep consistent,” Tom advised.
“Remember: it’s not just the weekday workouts, it’s the hard Saturday mornings when you don’t want to get out of bed where success is built where you’ll rise above the rest and build greatness,” the British strongman said, harking back to GymNation’s upcoming Saturday morning “Strongman” class.
GymNation’s new “Strongman” class, takes place every Saturday, 10am, at the Mirdif club. The class, for fitness lovers who love to lift big, is inspired by The World's Strongest Man international competition and includes exercises like Deadlifts, Tyre Flips, Log Press and Farmer’s Walk.
Commenting on the prank, Rory McEntee, Chief Marketing Officer at GymNation, said: “It’s a light-hearted prank on a bunch of heavyweight lifters. It took a bit of courage to pull it off, but who better to get a shout out from for our new Strongman class than than the strongest men from around the globe.
“All the lads are welcome to come and use a GymNation club across the UAE and KSA whenever they want, I might just need to hide in the back office.”
The prank comes as a follow up to GymNation launching the world’s heaviest permanent billboard earlier just last week. The billboard broke all known weight records for an OOH (Out of Home) advert, and weighed a staggering one tonne using forty weight plates joined together.
GymNation’s new Strongman class will run Saturdays at 10am at GymNation Mirdif. You can book the class online at GymNation.com
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into the heart of the businesses, transforming operations
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Loren Holland: founder and CEO
GymNation video gallery:
Key personnel
Loren Holland: founder and CEO
Frank Afeaki: founder and COO
Ant Martland, founder and CCO
William Rasmussen-Dean, country director
Ishan Patil, head of finance
Ian Mullane, board member
Frank Afeaki: founder and COO
Ant Martland, founder and CCO
William Rasmussen-Dean, country director
Ishan Patil, head of finance
Ian Mullane, board member
Key customers
GymNation is a community to support
everyone, to celebrate and inspire
each other to become better versions
of themselves, by living happier,
healthier and more active lives.
Plans for the next 12 months
Today, GymNation stands at 36 locations across the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with over 150,000 members.
In 2026, GymNation plans to open another 20-30 locations across the GCC, and with many more in the pipeline our aim is to become the largest gym chain across the GCC.
Behind the scenes, we’re diligently advancing our position as a world leading operator in the integration of technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
Our commitment extends beyond mere application, aiming to spearhead discussions and set benchmarks within the fitness industry and beyond, ensuring GymNation remains at the cutting edge of innovation.
We’re not just building gyms; our vision is to play a lead role as the region’s movement partner, championing healthy and active lifestyles alongside the importance of mental health and well-being.
In 2026, GymNation plans to open another 20-30 locations across the GCC, and with many more in the pipeline our aim is to become the largest gym chain across the GCC.
Behind the scenes, we’re diligently advancing our position as a world leading operator in the integration of technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
Our commitment extends beyond mere application, aiming to spearhead discussions and set benchmarks within the fitness industry and beyond, ensuring GymNation remains at the cutting edge of innovation.
We’re not just building gyms; our vision is to play a lead role as the region’s movement partner, championing healthy and active lifestyles alongside the importance of mental health and well-being.
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